Dario Srna, the Croatian stable in Shakhtar (Srna, Pušić, Stanić), had an incredible debut on the bench. Just a few days after Mario Stanić and Ivica Pušić sat on the bench of the champions of Ukraine, Srna was given the opportunity to lead his team in a Champions League match against Barcelona.
Stanić was initially hesitant about taking on the role of head coach, but when he received the call from his old friend and former teammate, he knew he couldn’t pass it up. Srna is currently serving as sports director at Shakhtar and sacrificed his position for a chance to coach the team.
In an interview with Tribuna.com, Stanić shared his thoughts on this decision: “I made this decision with my heart, and everything happened very quickly. I didn’t even have time to think about anything because we were in a rush to take over the team before the game against Barcelona.”
He added that he spoke with Ivica Pušić first and asked him if he was sure about his decision before making it final. When Pušić confirmed that he wanted Stanić to be head coach, Srna felt something inside him and decided to take on the role without hesitation.
Stanić has known Dario Srna since their time together on the Croatian national team and was impressed by his talent and potential as a player. He said: “I have known Dario for 30 years. I played for the Croatian national team in the position of right back for 6-7 years, and we won the bronze medal at the World Championship in 1998. I was almost 31 years old when young Srna got an invitation to